Asian leaders are heading to Shanghai Wednesday for a Central Asian security summit led by China and Russia.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (S.C.O.) summit begins Thursday, with talks expected to focus on oil, terrorism and border controls.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, who will attend the meeting, says the six-member group has made a major contribution to the security and stability of the Eurasia region. In an article published Wednesday in the Rossiyskaya Gazeta newspaper, Mr. Putin highlighted the S.C.O's achievements in resolving border disputes among its members.
In addition to China and Russia, the security organization includes Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
Human Rights Watch says all six countries have committed serious violations of humanitarian laws in the name of counter-terrorism.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will attend the Shanghai summit as an observer. Several other Asian countries will also take part as observers, including India, Pakistan and Mongolia.
A spokesman for China's Foreign Ministry tells Reuters that Iran's nuclear dispute with the United States and Europe may be discussed at the meeting.
Some information for this report was provided by AFP and Reuters.